Each workshop begins with a complimentary Monday morning welcome
breakfast at Martin’s Restaurant. After a brief introduction, participants introduce
themselves by describing their past writing endeavors, and future writing dreams
and goals. In their leisure time, students who are ready to dive in can
tackle an individually-tailored writing assignment for a new project or to
continue a work in progress - or they can just hang out on the beach .

During each Tuesday through Friday class:

Presentations
are designed to teach writers across genres and levels how to:

-Use poetic devices to spice up anything from a non-fiction essay to a
short story,

-Embed a plot in everything from a narrative poem to a travel article,

-Write descriptive details that are accurate a journalist’s and as compelling
as a poet’s,

-Vanquish insecurity and writer’s block for all time.

-Win contests, free-lance, and publish books.

Next, huddle up at the
main table or retire to the beach to free-write, to work on an individually-tailored
writing exercise, or to work on one of your on-going writing projects.
Solicit Dr. Sonna’s help if if
you get stuck.

Then, during the sharing
period, read something you have written aloud to the class, ask someone else
to read your piece aloud for you, or distribute printed copies to the group for
hands-on editing help. Alternatively, solicit group help with a current or
future writing project. Everyone has an opportunity to share something they
have written or to discuss a writing project at each class, but no one is
required to read.

Finally, Dr. Sonna provides individually tailored writing assignments to
participants who would like to write outside of class.

A cocktail party (cash
bar) will be held on Friday, Jaunary 19 for Session
1. (Time and place in La Manzanilla to be arranged.)

A public reading will be
held on Friday, January 20. Workshop participants at both workshops are
invited to read or attend at no charge. (Time and place in La Manzanilla to be arranged.)

The nebulous,
ephemeral psyche...materialized as traces of the écrit,
the mind’s marks on paper.

Coastal
Map - The closest
airport is the Manzanillo airport (ZLO), located about
30 miles (48 km) southeast of La Manzanilla in Manzanillo, Mexico. The Puerto Vallarta airport is 120
miles (200 km) north of La Manzanilla, 4-5 hours by
first class bus.

Money. Stock up on pesos before you hit town! There
are no banks or ATMs, few places take credit cards, no one accepts traveler’s
checks in La Manzanilla. (For about 13 pesos each way, you can make the 30-minute bus ride to Melaque,
which features modern conveniences such as banks and ATMs.)

Medications. The local pharmacy can order any medication
that is available in Mexico – but it will take a few days (and then perhaps a
few days more) to arrive.

Internet. Most of the nicer hotels, bars, and
restaurants have Internet connections.

Transportation. Everything in town is within walking
distance.

Cell Phone. If you don’t have a Mexican cell phone, the
best bet way to make calls is on Skype, available as an app for portable devices
and smart phones (Ipod, IPhone, Blackberry, etc.,
and/or you can use the Skype program to place calls from your computer (See
www.Skype.com). If you buy a Skype telephone number, people can call you, and
you can answer on your laptop or portable device. If your computer doesn’t have
a microphone, you’ll need to buy one. If you buy some Skype credit, you can
call any telephone in the world. Otherwise, if you don’t buy Skype credit, you
can call people’s computers (assuming they have Skype installed) for free.

Portable Printer. There are two little Cybercafes
that are open sometimes. Each has a printer that sometimes works. If you are bring your own, pack lots of cartridges, too.a portable printer, bring plenty of cartridges.

USB flash drive. To print out or share files of your work on
other participants’ computers, this is apt to come in handy.